Muggle Appreciation Day
by snowmaid23
Summary: Hogwarts is having a Muggle Appreciation Day! Harry's Aunt Petunia and cousin Dudley are among the guests. Will Dudley create havoc? And why is he hanging around with Draco Malfoy?
1. The idea is born

It was only Arthur Weasley's first meeting as a member of the Board of Governors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and already things were not going well. Of course his wife Molly had been right when she told him to just listen quietly for the first meeting or two, to get a feel for the other board members and the way that they did things before he started bringing up his own ideas. Molly was usually right about these things, when it came right down to it, but somehow he never realized this until it was too late. Like at this moment, for instance.  
  
"Muggle Appreciation Day?" Isaiaus Flebber was saying in utter disbelief. Flebber was a thin, nervous looking wizard of slightly more than middle age. Mr. Weasley knew that he was a bachelor and therefore had never had any children at Hogwarts. He was on the board solely because of his status as the inventor of Flebber's No-Stain Robes, the official robe of all Hogwarts Quidditch teams. "Come on, man, you can't be serious. We can't have Muggles running loose all around Hogwarts for a day. Just think of all the problems that could cause!"  
  
Mr. Weasley let out a small, disappointed sigh. "I'd rather expected more from you, Mr. Flebber," he said, as calmly as he could manage. "I'm not suggesting that we let random Muggles 'run loose all around Hogwarts,' as you so colorfully put it. If you'll just hear me out."  
  
"Well, I for one think it's a marvelous idea," interjected Bella Zimm. She was a young and fairly attractive witch and a fairly recent graduate from Hogwarts herself. A former Hufflepuff, Bella was known for solving problems and urging members of different groups to get along. Word had it that she had been instrumental in the formation of the Gryffindor/Slytherin Exploding Snap League about 10 years back. Of course, the league had folded immediately upon her graduation, which only proved how instrumental she had been to the group's success in the first place. No wonder Dumbledore had pushed for her appointment to the Board of Governors, just as he had for Arthur Weasley. It was a special honor for her given that appointment to the board was for life. Undoubtedly Bella Zimm would be on the board dispensing her special brand of magic long after the other members had all been replaced.  
  
Mr. Weasley brought his thoughts back to the present as Bella continued to speak. "As long as the Muggles are supervised at all times, I don't see what harm can come to them or Hogwarts. And there's certainly plenty to see and do to keep them occupied for a whole day, even without revealing any of our secrets, which I'm sure none of us would want to do."  
  
Flebber refused to be placated. "That's all well and good," he said, "but can we trust these Muggles? I mean, most of them don't even know of the existence of our world. If we just show it to them without any warning, who knows what their reaction will be?"  
  
"That's precisely my point," Mr. Weasley said politely but firmly. "To ensure good relations with them in the future, more Muggles need to learn about our world, and if we don't make the effort, how are they ever going to?" He banged his fist on the table for emphasis.  
  
Bella Zimm interrupted him again. "Gentlemen, you both make excellent points. Might I suggest a compromise? It seems to me that it makes no sense to introduce Hogwarts to Muggles who have no connection with the school whatsoever. It also seems to me that most of the children at Hogwarts would have some kind of connection to Muggles. The majority of them, aside from the Slytherins, of course, have Muggle relations of one sort or another. And almost all of them began their education in Muggle schools. Why don't we let each child invite two or three Muggles of their choosing? That way each of the Muggle attendees will have someone that they know to look after them and keep them out of trouble. It also ensures that those who are invited will have some knowledge of the wizarding world already and won't be totally overwhelmed by the experience."  
  
The conversation dragged on for some time after this, as the details were ironed out and the other governors had their say on the matter. But after Bella's speech, there was no longer any doubt that Hogwarts would very soon be having a Muggle Appreciation Day.  
  
*************  
  
Of course, when Headmaster Albus Dumbledore was presented with the board's plan, he had no objections whatsoever. Since the Hogwarts rumor mill was up to its usual snuff, within the day, almost everyone in the school, faculty and students alike, had heard about Arthur Weasley's unusual plan. All of the students, except for the Slytherins, were very excited at the prospect of finally getting to show off Hogwarts to their favorite Muggles. That night in the Gryffindor common room, Ron's ears were still ringing with all the praises he'd heard about his father.  
  
"I knew it would be great having my father replace Lucius Malfoy on the board of governors, but I had no idea it would be this great!" he said dreamily. "At last everyone knows how wonderful the Weasleys are. And I hope they never forget!" His chest puffed out and his eyes took on a far- away look.  
  
"Oh, shut up, Ron," Hermione said irritably. "If you keep this up, you'll be just as bad as Draco ever was. I thought that things would be better around here since the Malfoys had their downfall, but if you're going to start up right where he left off, I don't know what I'm going to do." She hugged a sofa cushion across her chest and scowled at Ron.  
  
Harry looked anxiously from Ron to Hermione and back again. He hated to see his two best friends fighting, and so he decided it would be best to change the subject. Immediately. "So who are you guys going to invite?" he asked, trying to put enthusiasm in his voice.  
  
Hermione perked up noticeably at the question. "I'm going to invite my parents, of course! It will mean closing their dental office for the day, but I'm sure they won't mind. They've been dying to see Hogwarts forever, and I have so much I want to show them!"  
  
"How about you, Ron?" Harry asked.  
  
A scowl flitted across Ron's face. "I dunno," he said. "I don't really know any Muggles. My family's all wizards, you know, and my mother taught us at home until we were old enough to go to Hogwarts."  
  
"What about your cousin the accountant?" Harry asked helpfully.  
  
"No, he's a squib. I don't think that counts." His face fell and then suddenly brightened. "You don't suppose my dad would suggest a Squib Appreciation Day, do you?"  
  
"That would be neat," Harry said excitedly. "I could invite Mrs. Figg and thank her for watching over me all those years. Just as long as she leaves the cats at home!"  
  
"No, wait, I just thought of something," Ron said. "If we have Squib Appreciation Day, that means we'll have to appreciate Filch for a whole day." He gave an involuntary shudder. "Best forget the whole idea, I expect."  
  
Harry patted Ron's shoulder sympathetically. "Don't worry," he said. "I don't have anybody to invite either."  
  
"HARRY JAMES POTTER! HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT?" Hermione was scowling again, this time at him. "You have the Mugglest family there is and you say you don't have anyone to invite. You should be ashamed of yourself!"  
  
"Hermione," Ron whispered. "You can't be serious. Not even you could suggest that." He gulped and trailed off.  
  
Harry was shaking his head. "I did think about that, Hermione, but I just know they wouldn't come. Uncle Vernon would never allow it. And even if they did, well, just think about the mayhem that it would cause. I don't want to be the laughingstock of the whole school."  
  
Hermione spoke again, more gently this time. "People will surprise you, Harry," she said. "Besides, don't you realize that people fear most what they don't understand? If your Uncle Vernon could just see what goes on here, maybe he'd realize that the wizarding world isn't as frightening as he imagines. This could open up a whole new chapter of your life, Harry."  
  
"Yeah, or maybe just a can of worms," Ron said darkly. 


	2. The day begins

The next few months were a whirl of preparation. Mr. Weasley and Professor Dumbledore were in charge of the planning, but everyone else had their parts to play as well. The teachers were making plans for the tour of Hogwarts grounds. Professor Flitwick, of course, was in charge of decorations for the castle. The governors, even Isaiaus Flebber, were working with the Ministry of Magic to make sure that all the necessary permits were in place. And the students were in charge of inviting their favorite Muggles and explaining to them what was about to take place.  
  
Hermione didn't back down from the stance she had taken and made sure that Harry invited the Dursleys. Since Harry was quite sure that they would never agree to attend, he sent the message without too much trepidation. Just to make sure that the invitation wouldn't incite Uncle Vernon more than necessary, he chose to send it by Muggle post from Hogsmeade rather than with Hedwig.  
  
Ron didn't end up inviting anyone on his own, but that turned out to be a blessing. In order to keep the guest list to a reasonable level, it had been decided to limit each student to two Muggle guests, and so there was plenty of demand for unused invitations by those students who wished to invite more. One of Ron's had gone to Dudley, much to both Ron and Harry's consternation. The other had been snatched up by a Gryffindor first-year who wanted to invite her parents and younger sister.  
  
Almost before it seemed possible, the big day arrived. The minute Harry's eyes opened, he realized that it was finally Muggle Appreciation Day. He didn't have much hope of seeing the Dursleys, and that realization did much to cheer him. He planned to spend the day with Hermione's parents, since Ron and Hermione would be spending a good part of the day in their roles as prefects. He just hoped they wouldn't look as his teeth as closely as they had last time he saw them.  
  
Ron was already awake and sitting on his bed waiting for Harry to get up. As soon as Harry had dressed they went down to the common room to meet Hermione. Harry couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her so happy, unless it was when she learned she'd gotten the most OWLS of any Hogwarts student ever. She was practically jumping up and down in her excitement, and she had a huge grin plastered on her face. "I can't believe the day is finally here," she said. "My parents at Hogwarts finally! And your family will be here, too, Harry!"  
  
Harry let out a sigh. "How many times do I have to tell you, Hermione? I don't expect them to come. Just drop it, will you?"  
  
She only looked at him with a sly smile. "I think this day will hold many surprises for you, Harry Potter."  
  
******************  
  
The main entrance hall was crammed with students by the time the threesome got there. Breakfast had been delayed this morning until after the arrival of the guests, who would most likely be hungry after traveling all night on the Hogwarts Express. They were due to come up the hill any moment in the thestral-drawn carriages. Harry wondered idly if Muggles who had seen death could also see the thestrals, or if they were something that only wizards could ever see. He would have to ask Hagrid next time he saw him, he decided.  
  
Just then he noticed a bit of commotion beginning. "They're here! They're here!" shouted the Hufflepuff prefect who had been stationed outside the door as a lookout. The huge doors were flung open and a throng of Muggles stepped inside Hogwarts for the first time.  
  
Everyone was talking at once and a lot of people were hugging. Somehow everyone seemed to find their loved ones without much of a fuss, which was absolutely unbelievable given the size of the crowd. Harry imagined that there must be an anti-confusion charm in place. Of course, Hermione had quickly spotted her parents and was now talking to them a mile a minute. Ron finally had to pull her away and remind her of her prefect duties, which left Harry alone with the Grangers.  
  
At first he didn't know what to say to them, but he was spared too much discomfort when the prefects began herding everyone towards the Great Hall. It was all he could do to stay next to Hermione's parents in the crowd and show them to the Gryffindor table. He had expected it to be terribly crowded, since almost every Gryffindor had invited their quota of two Muggles, but it seemed as comfortable and roomy as ever. It must have been the same kind of spell that had made the Weasley's tents so much larger at the Quidditch World Cup.  
  
As soon as everyone was settled, breakfast appeared on the table, "as if by magic," as several Muggles remarked. Harry chuckled to himself. He knew by now that there was some magic involved in getting the food from the kitchens below to the table, but that the actual cooking was done the normal Muggle way by legions of house elves. It had taken him a long time to figure out what was magic and what wasn't in the wizarding world, and he didn't suppose it would be realistic to try to explain everything to Muggles in one single day.  
  
Hermione and Ron, done with their job of getting everyone seated, turned up just then and settled down in the empty seats that Harry had saved for them. Hermione started chattering away at her parents again while Ron tucked into a pile of sausages and potatoes. Harry, who was already starting to get full, glanced up at the teachers' table and noticed for the first time that Dumbledore was not in his seat. He poked Ron in the side.  
  
"Ow, that hurts," said Ron.  
  
"Sorry," Harry said sheepishly. "I was just wondering if you know where Dumbledore is."  
  
"Isn't he up there eating?" Ron asked absently, his mind focused on a muffin.  
  
"No, he's not," Harry insisted. "If you'd look up from your plate for a moment you could see for yourself."  
  
Ron was used to this kind of statement from Harry and Hermione and never seemed to take offense. "That's odd," he said. "Dumbledore is supposed to be giving a speech as soon as everyone is done eating. It's not like him to be late."  
  
Hermione glanced up from her plate. She looked like she was going to say something for a moment, but then she thought better of it and helped herself to a glazed doughnut instead.  
  
"Hermione," Mrs. Granger scolded, "Don't you know how much sugar is in that? Why not have a plain muffin instead, like Ron?" She pointed to the red-headed boy with a pleased look on her face. Ron, who had been just about to load his muffin with strawberry jam, looked down at his plate and gulped instead.  
  
"It looks like it'll be dry muffins for me today," he muttered under his breath.  
  
Harry was bracing himself for some sort of three-way argument between Hermione, Ron, and Mrs. Granger, when a sudden noise in the hallway made everyone look up. The doors of the Great Hall flung open, and in walked Dumbledore, followed by Petunia and Dudley Dursley. 


	3. Explanations of all sorts

A/N: Now that I have some readers, I suppose I should do a proper author's note. First of all, the usual disclaimer applies: I don't own Hogwarts or any of the standard Harry Potter characters. I do, however, own Isaiaus Flebber, Flebber's No-Stain Robes, Bella Zimm, and the whole concept of Muggle Appreciation Day.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers, all two of you! Knowing that someone out there is actually reading this is making me a lot more interested in continuing. So if anyone else out there is reading this and has some thoughts, be sure to let me know, unless you disagree with the whole premise of the story or something. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all! On the other hand, constructive criticism is always appreciated.  
  
____________________________________________________________________________ __  
  
Aunt Petunia had a frightened yet proud look on her face as she stood in the doorway behind Dumbledore. Dudley seemed to be settling for the frightened part and was shaking like a leaf. He was actually grabbing on to his mother's skirts and trying to hide behind her, as if he were still 5 years old instead of going on 17. The three stood there as if in a tableau for a few seconds before Dumbledore turned to his Muggle companions and motioned over to the Gryffindor table where Harry was sitting. Oddly enough, there were two empty place settings next to Harry that he was sure hadn't been there a few moments before. Harry's relatives began to walk slowly towards them. It was quite apparent that whatever had just happened to them, they were still in a state of shock and confusion.  
  
Almost everyone in the Great Hall shared that confusion, but Hermione was beaming. "See, Harry? I told you they'd come!"  
  
Harry looked as if he was trying to slide off the bench and under the table. "Everyone is staring at them," he whispered. "They all know they shouldn't be here."  
  
"Nonsense, Harry," Hermione said firmly. "We're the only people here who even know that they're your relatives. Everyone else is surprised to see that someone arrived with Dumbledore himself. I think they think the Dursleys are the guests of honor or something."  
  
Harry groaned. From his point of view, that was just as bad.  
  
The conversation came to an abrupt halt as Aunt Petunia and Dudley finally reached their part of the table and seated themselves. "Aunt Petunia, Dudley," Harry said weakly. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"  
  
Dudley was reaching for the tray of glazed donuts in front of him, but Petunia gently slapped his hand. "Dudders, you know we ate at home before we came this morning. Remember your diet, dear." She turned to Harry to respond to his question. "To tell you the truth, Harry, we weren't expecting to come. I mean, Vernon was so against it and there didn't seem to be much point in the whole thing. If I'd wanted to see Hogwarts, I could have come here when Lily was a student. But then Dumbledore popped in on us this morning quite unexpectedly, and well, you know how persuasive he can be." Harry nodded, remembering the howler that he had sent the summer before last.  
  
"So Uncle Vernon isn't coming, then?" Harry asked, latching on to the only ray of hope he could see.  
  
"No, he certainly isn't, and if I have my way he'll never know we were here. Thank heavens that Dumbledore appeared just after he left for work. I left a note saying that I'd had to take Dudley shopping for new boxing gloves." Harry nodded again. Taking Dudley shopping was one of Aunt Petunia's most frequent activities, so it certainly would make a plausible excuse.  
  
Conversation around them seemed to be dying down. Looking up at the head table, they saw that Dumbledore was standing, apparently now ready to make his speech. "If I may have your attention please," he began in his usual quiet yet authoritative voice. "As many of you may know, this is the first time that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has hosted such a large gathering of Muggles. In fact, in the past Muggles have entered these grounds only under very unusual circumstances. It is my hope that today might mark the beginning of the end of those times. In that spirit, I would like to welcome each and every one of our Muggle guests today. We hope that you will come away from today with a better understanding of what goes on here and what the wizarding community stands for.  
  
"Towards that end we have planned a full day of activities for you. The morning will be spent in tours of the building and grounds led by the prefects of each house. To minimize disruption, each house will begin the tour in a different area. All tours will end in the house common rooms shortly before noon.  
  
"After lunch, which will be served here in the Great Hall, there will be an exhibition Quidditch match, weather permitting. I understand that special teams have been organized for the event under the supervision of Miss Bella Zimm. I'm told that they are to be quite unusual in their composition, to say the least." Bella nodded from her seat at the end of the head table. Harry couldn't be quite sure from where he was sitting, but it seemed as if she had an unusually bright twinkle in her eye. "Thanks also go to Mr. Isaiaus Flebber of Flebber's No-Stain Robes for donating custom-made Quidditch robes for the occasion." Flebber nodded curtly from his seat at the other end of the table.  
  
"Assuming that the Quidditch match is not of unusual duration, we will meet again in the great hall at 4 o'clock for closing ceremonies and a reception. After this, guests will be escorted to the Hogwarts Express and begin the journey home.  
  
"These are all the remarks I wish to make at this time. However, I wish to introduce to you Mr. Arthur Weasley. Mr. Weasley is a member of the Hogwarts Board of Governors and is the person most responsible for planning today's events. A round of applause for Mr. Weasley, please."  
  
The Muggles in the audience clapped politely while the Hogwarts students cheered more enthusiastically. Ron and Ginny screamed, "All right, Dad!" at the top of their lungs, making the elder Weasley blush a deep crimson. Only the Slytherin table was silent.  
  
Still blushing furiously, Mr. Weasley stood up and addressed the audience. "There's only one thing I'd like to say, and it's more of a question, really. I'd just like to know if any Muggle here can tell me the function of a rubber duck. If so, please see me after breakfast." He sat down quickly. Harry looked at Ron and noticed that he was now blushing as hard as his father. 


	4. Dudley makes a friend?

A/N: Wow, more readers! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and especially to the people who made suggestions. I might not be able to take all of them, but they did set my mind turning in very interesting ways, as this chapter will probably make clear. So without further ado, here's the story.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------  
  
Dudley was starting to get over his fright. He had to admit that when that freaky-looking wizard had showed up at his house this morning, he'd been a little nervous. And who could blame him? Five years ago Hagrid had given him a pig's tail that had to be surgically removed. And then two years ago the Weasley twins had somehow swollen his tongue. And none of those people had even been fully-trained wizards! If they could harm him so easily, who knew what Dumbledore could do to him? No, he was perfectly right in being afraid. Even his mother had been afraid, and she was never afraid of anything, as far as he could tell.  
  
It had started out to be such a good day. Dudley had been so happy to be on holiday from Smeltings and back home at Number 4 Privet Drive. It always pleased him to be there alone with his mummy and daddy, without that horrible Harry to mess everything up the way he always did. He knew Harry would be on holiday as well in a few weeks, so he wanted to make the most of this time while it lasted. His things were all spread out in his second bedroom, just as they'd always been before Harry'd started sleeping there. He'd reunited with his gang and had been pleased to slip into the role of "Big D" once more. Mumsy had even made him bacon for breakfast this morning. Everything had been just perfect before they'd heard that bang out in the garden, and then the knock at the door.  
  
But that was then, and now that he'd had a few hours to adjust to the situation, fear was starting to be replaced by boredom. How big and boring was this school anyway? And were they really going to have to inspect every millimeter of it? The tour seemed to be taking forever, and nothing he'd seen so far had been of the slightest interest. Well, he did have to admit that the moving portraits lining the walls were kind of cool. He'd gotten into a shouting match with one just to break the monotony! But that only lasted a few minutes before Mumsy put a stop to it, saying she didn't want him to get hurt. Honestly, she was so overprotective of him sometimes.  
  
Dudley realized that while he'd been thinking these things he'd fallen behind the rest of the tour group. He could still see them up ahead, and at the snail's pace they were traveling, it would be quite a while before they were out of his sight completely. This might be a good time to do a little exploring on his own!  
  
He ducked off down a side corridor that hadn't been part of the tour, certain that he'd find something of interest that they'd hoped to hide from Muggle eyes. Unfortunately, after a few minutes of fruitless searching he discovered that this hallway was even more boring than they one he'd just come from. Nothing down here at all but a disused set of lavatories and some very faint red graffiti on the wall. Ha! Even Hogwarts must have its pranksters, thought they'd obviously tried to hide the evidence from the visitors.  
  
He'd turned around and was about to make his way back to the main tour when he heard a giggle behind him. A girl down here alone with him? Well, that certainly made things a bit more interesting. He smoothed back his blond hair and checked his fly before turning around again. "Hi there!" he said in his suavest voice. Then he got the first look at the girl. She was pretty enough, if you didn't mind the glasses and the smirk on her face. She had dark hair in pigtails and was wearing a Hogwarts uniform. Oddly enough, she seemed to be in black-and-white and also seemed to be floating a few inches above the ground. And could she really be translucent? Oh, well, he supposed it was just some sort of spell or something. Probably just showing off her magical skill for the Muggles. "What's your name?" he asked without skipping a beat.  
  
"Myrtle," she said, and giggled again. "What's yours?"  
  
"Dudley," he said, "But most people call me Big D."  
  
"Well, most people call me Moaning Myrtle, but you don't hear me bragging about that," she said, somehow managing to sound embarrassed and haughty at the same time.  
  
"Moaning Myrtle, eh?" he asked with a lascivious grin. "Is that because ." He leaned forward and whispered something suggestive into her ear.  
  
She let out an angry shriek and slapped him across the face. From the force she used it should have hurt, and yet he didn't feel anything at all except a slight coldness. Odd, that. Must have been another spell. Girls couldn't manage to stay angry at Big D for long, that was sure.  
  
She glided angrily through the door to the girls' bathroom. (Glided through the door? Must be more magic.) But then, sure enough, she came back in a few moments with a mischievous grin on her face. "Dudley," she said very sweetly, "there's something I'd like to show you in here."  
  
His eyes widened and he gulped. "But that's the girls' bathroom." He fumbled with his bow tie, which suddenly seemed much too tight. There could be only one reason why she'd want him to come with her into a disused girls' lavatory. But no girl had ever been so forward with him before. Still, he couldn't have her thinking that the Big D was inexperienced or something. He straightened up and said smoothly, "Just show me the way." He didn't see Myrtle rolling her eyes behind his back.  
  
She led him over to the sinks. "Stand right here with me and look in the mirror," she said. "I want to whisper something to you." She seemed to be trying very hard to remember something, and then she whispered something that he couldn't quite understand. It certainly didn't seem to be in English. It was more like a sort of hissing.  
  
And then something Dudley couldn't explain at all happened. The sinks started moving, reconfiguring somehow, until he was standing right in front of a gaping hole. Myrtle cackled in a most vindictive way. "Let's see how you like the Chamber of Secrets, then, why don't we?" She shoved him hard.  
  
Unfortunately, her anger had made Myrtle forget two things: one, she was a ghost and could only manipulate small amounts of matter, and two, Dudley weighed much, much more than the average Hogwarts student. Her shove didn't send him plummeting down the hole to the Chamber of Secrets as she'd hoped. It only knocked him off balance for a second. But it was enough to scare Dudley half to death. He ran out of that bathroom and up the long corridor as fast as his legs could carry him, screaming bloody murder all the while.  
  
***********************  
  
Harry and Hermione had been looking for Dudley ever since his mother had finally noticed him missing. Certain that he couldn't have gone too far and anxious that no one find out that she'd lost a Muggle from right under her nose, Hermione had insisted that they not tell Dumbledore or any of the teachers but just find him themselves. They'd been retracing their steps for about 10 minutes when they suddenly heard a horrible screaming.  
  
"Is that Dudley's voice?" Hermione asked.  
  
Harry nodded. If there was one thing he'd heard way too much of in his childhood, it was Dudley's screaming. He was always either afraid of something or having a temper tantrum.  
  
"Judging from the Doppler Effect, he's running pretty fast. Faster than I thought possible," Hermione said in her Miss Know-It-All voice. "And he should be here about . now." Sure enough, Dudley bounded around the corner at exactly that moment.  
  
"What happened to you, Dudley Dursley?" Hermione scolded. "Just where do you think you were?"  
  
"I just got separated from the group," he stammered. "And then I met this really strange girl who slapped me and tried to push me."  
  
Harry was mortified. He was sure that Dudley had probably done more than enough to provoke such actions. Now he was going to have to apologize to some girl for him. Hopefully she wasn't a Slytherin. "Did you get her name, Dudley?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah," Dudley said. "It was Myrtle. Moaning Myrtle."  
  
Both Harry and Hermione looked visibly relieved. "Oh, Myrtle is rude to everyone," Hermione said. "She's still upset about her murder. I wonder if she'll have calmed down in another 50 years?"  
  
Dudley blanched and his voice came out in a squeak. "50 years? Murder? You mean, she's a ghost?" I've been flirting with a ghost, he thought silently. He'd never live this down if anyone ever found out.  
  
Hermione looked at her watch. "We've no time for explanations now," she said. "It's after noon. Lunch has already started. We've got to get there right away if we have any hopes at all of getting a seat or something to eat."  
  
A few minutes of fast walking later, they were in front of the Great Hall. Harry was impressed, and also horrified, by how much more fit Dudley seemed. The diet and boxing lessons had finally paid off. Unfortunately, this meant that instead of a slow, lumbering bully of a cousin, he now had a quick, muscular bully of a cousin. Not a good development, now that he thought about it.  
  
Dudley was only thinking about food. Breakfast had been so long ago and he'd done so much walking and running since then. The table where they'd sat that morning was crowded, and most of the food was already gone. But there was another table that was almost empty and was still laden with plenty of trays of hot food. He walked over to it, licking his lips in anticipation.  
  
Harry and Hermione had sat down at the Gryffindor table before they realized that Dudley was gone again. At first Harry was afraid that they'd lost him somewhere along the way to the Great Hall, but then he noticed that Hermione was mutely pointing. He looked up, afraid of what he might see. "No, it's impossible," he whispered.  
  
"It's possible," Hermione said bitterly. "Dudley Dursley is sitting at the Slytherin table." 


	5. The plot thickens

Draco Malfoy was not having a good day. He still couldn't believe that any Slytherins in their right minds would knowingly invite Muggles to Hogwarts, but for some reason five of them had, and that meant he'd had eight Muggles to show around on the tour that morning. He'd thought it would be no trouble, since Granger and Weasley were apparently managing to handle dozens without any fuss, but he'd forgotten one thing. These might be lowly Muggles, but they were the kind of Muggles who were friends with Slytherins. He'd spent the majority of his time trying to keep them from peeking into cupboards and sneaking off into dangerous parts of the castle. He was totally exhausted by the time he sat down to lunch.  
  
To make matters worse, he knew there would be no rest for him any time soon. He'd been picked to play in the exhibition Quidditch match this afternoon, as part of the unlikeliest team he'd ever heard of. He'd said no at first, but his pride had gotten to him in the end. Why not show off his superior athletic ability? Even filthy Muggles should be able to appreciate a talent such as his when they saw it. Anyway, he knew that members of the winning team would earn points for their houses. Since most Slytherins were refusing to have anything at all to do with the day's festivities, someone had to make sure that the house got their fair share of the winnings.  
  
The one good thing about the day was the uncrowded state of the Slytherin table. With only eight guests, and with many of his housemates boycotting the Great Hall and choosing to eat in their common room instead, there was plenty of room to spare and plenty of food. He could practically name everyone sitting at the table without even looking up. Of course, eventually he did look up, only to find himself looking right into the eyes of the biggest Muggle boy he'd ever seen.  
  
"You aren't one of the Slytherin Muggles," he sneered. Slytherin Muggles? Had he actually just said that? "What are you doing here at this table?"  
  
The kid looked up at him with a strange combination of fear and greed in his eyes. "You just had so much food over here, and I was hungry. My cousin doesn't seem to be paying much attention to me, so I figured I might just as well come over here for a while."  
  
"And just who is this cousin of yours?" Draco demanded.  
  
"Harry Potter," Dudley said softly.  
  
If it weren't for his Slytherin poker face, Draco's jaw would have dropped. This huge blond kid was Harry Potter's cousin? Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, was related to this dull-eyed Muggle? A huge Muggle, he reminded himself, who could probably take Draco easily in a fight, even without magic. Life just wasn't fair.  
  
Even with his nimble Slytherin brain going full-tilt, the only thing Draco managed to say was a slightly sarcastic, "Well, you must be very proud of yourself then." There was no point in totally alienating the big bruiser, after all. If he played his cards right, it would never become apparent how Draco really felt about Harry.  
  
Unsurprisingly, Dudley totally missed the hint of sarcasm. He knew that most kids here worshipped his cousin like some kind of a god, so it didn't surprise him to meet yet another of them. And this one looked even more dangerous than most. Dudley couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something in this prefect's eyes spoke of a cunning mind and constant watchfulness. There was no doubt about it that he could take Dudley easily in a fight through magic alone. He'd have to be extra careful around this one and make sure that he never figured out how Dudley really felt about Harry.  
  
"Yeah, well, to me he's just my cousin, you know?" Dudley said noncommittally.  
  
The two of them ate on in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes before Draco finally took it upon himself to speak. "So, what did you think of the tour this morning?" he asked.  
  
"Well, it was kind of strange," Dudley began. He wasn't sure how honest he should be with this stranger, but they had to talk about something, after all. "I saw a lot of things I didn't understand."  
  
Draco nodded. It was no surprise that the wonders of the wizarding world were far beyond the comprehension of this Muggle's brain. "Maybe I can help you," he said as politely as he could bear. "What exactly is confusing you?"  
  
"Well," Dudley asked, "I was wondering if you could explain to me about the Chamber of Secrets."  
  
Some surprises are too much for even Slytherin composure to conceal. This was one of them. Draco choked on his pumpkin juice, and it took a few minutes before he was able to speak. "The Chamber of Secrets? How do you know about that? That wasn't on the tour."  
  
"No," Dudley said uncomfortably. He looked down at the table before continuing. "I sort of wandered off on my own. I met this girl who tried to show it to me, but I was scared."  
  
"Let me get this straight," Draco said slowly and patiently, as if he were speaking to a five-year-old. "You know the location of the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets?"  
  
"Yes," Dudley said. "But I promise I'll never tell anyone if I'm not supposed to know."  
  
Draco's eyes glinted mysteriously. "That might be for the best," he said carefully. "But first of all, just to make sure you're telling the truth, why don't you show it to me?"  
  
Just as Dudley was about to answer, he felt a hand on his shoulder, which made him jump.  
  
"Oh, Dudders, I didn't mean to scare you," Petunia said. "It's just been so long since I've seen you, and we're all so worried about you. If you're done eating, why don't you come back over to our table now?" Without a word, Dudley got up and followed his mother back to the Gryffindor table. Draco barely noticed, as he was suddenly lost in thought. 


	6. The Quidditch match

Petunia Dursley could not believe what she was doing. Here she was in the stands of an unfamiliar school-a wizard school at that-preparing to spend God-knows-how-many-hours watching a sport that she'd never seen before. To top that off, she didn't even know any of the players. She knew that Harry had once been an avid Quidditch player. That Nimbus 2000 of his had been his prize possession, and once he'd gotten the Firebolt he'd been even worse. She didn't suppose that he realized she knew these things. That even if she tried to pretend otherwise, she did know a few things about the wizarding world and how her nephew fit into it.  
  
But for whatever reason, Harry wasn't playing today. She knew that because he was sitting next to her in the stands. Well, actually as far away as he could possibly get while still being in the same row, but it was close enough for her taste. Diddy was on one side of her, and those Grangers were on the other side. Now they seemed like the right sort of people, successful dentists. If it wasn't for that witch of a daughter of theirs, Petunia might have considered socializing with them. Maybe she could invite them for dinner sometime during the school year, when that know-it- all Hermione and her own nephew Harry would be safely out of range in Hogwarts.  
  
Dumbledore was approaching the center of the field. He began to speak, and even though there was no public address system, she could hear him perfectly. Of course he must have used an amplifying spell on his voice. Why did these wizards have to use magic just because they could? They were all a bunch of show-offs.  
  
"If I might have your attention," Dumbledore was saying, "it is almost time for the game to begin. As you may be aware, each school year Hogwarts has 6 regular Quidditch matches that determine the winner of the school Quidditch cup. The winner this year has already been determined. However, since Quidditch is such a huge part of the life of the school, we felt our guests needed to get a taste of it. For that reason Miss Bella Zimm, a member of the Hogwarts Board of Governors, has arranged this special exhibition match. I feel it appropriate to point out that the composition of the teams was entirely her doing. So without further ado, I give you teams Slytherpuff and Gryffinclaw!" At that moment, 14 players came out onto the field, half in silver and black and half in bronze and gold.  
  
A collective gasp went up from all the Hogwarts students in the stands, while the Muggle guests just looked puzzled. There was a flurry of whispers as people tried to explain to their guests just how unusual and surprising the teams were, especially Slytherpuff. Petunia didn't really care about all that. She just wanted the game to be over, and soon.  
  
The players mounted their brooms, Madam Hooch threw the quaffle into the air, and the game began. Petunia's eyes glazed over as the various balls and players swooped past faster than she could ever hope to follow. Next to her, however, her son was watching the game much more avidly. He couldn't follow the mechanics of the game either, but it didn't matter. Unlike his mother, he did know one player, the blond prefect he'd met at lunch, and he was content to follow his movements around the field. The way he zoomed and swooped and hovered on that broom was simply amazing! Dudley had never before dreamed it possible, but suddenly he wanted to be a wizard in the worst way. He could become a Quidditch player and fly around the pitch as effortlessly as that boy was doing! He knew that could never really happen, of course, so his second choice was to get to know a Quidditch player. His cousin Harry was completely out of the question, of course, but this one seemed like a good sort. As long as he never revealed how he really felt about Harry, they could probably be friends.  
  
Out on the field, Draco Malfoy was getting annoyed. It was impossible for him to even locate the snitch among all the glittering metallic robes! Hadn't anyone thought of that before designing the costumes? This game would go on forever at this rate.  
  
No sooner had he thought that than Ginny Weasley, the Gryffinclaw seeker, made a sharp dive for the ground. At first Draco was sure she was simply going into a Wronski feint, but then at the last moment he saw her fingers tighten around the tiny golden orb. Darn it! Gryffinclaw had won after only 10 minutes! Now what was he supposed to do?  
  
In the crowd, Ron was much happier. "Weasleys rule! Weasleys rule!" he was shouting at the top of his voice. He grabbed onto Harry's arm and the two of them stormed the field. Hermione ran behind, shouting something about not getting carried away and respecting school property. Draco noticed all this and was about to fly over and crash the impromptu Weasley celebration when he noticed something else. Harry's cousin was sitting alone in the stands with only some Muggle adults watching over him. Certainly they wouldn't have any idea who Draco was. It would be only too easy to lure the big oxen away and get him to reveal the location of the Chamber of Secrets.  
  
He approached Dudley and asked cheerfully, "You want to go on an adventure with me?"  
  
Dudley's eyes shone brightly. "Yeah!" he said, almost too eagerly.  
  
"Just tell your mother you're heading back to Hogwarts with me," Draco instructed him.  
  
Dudley tugged on his mother's arm. She was deep in conversation with Mrs. Granger and didn't seem to want to be disturbed. "Mom, I'm going back to Hogwarts with my friend! Is it ok?"  
  
"Yes, dear," Petunia said absently. "Have fun!"  
  
As the two boys walked back towards the school, Draco realized they still didn't know each other's names. "I'm Draco Malfoy," he said. "What's your name?"  
  
"Dudley Dursley," was the reply.  
  
Meanwhile, back at the Quidditch pitch, Dumbledore was making another announcement. "Since this match was one of the shortest in recent memory, and since there are almost 3 hours until the closing reception, it has been decided that our Muggle guests can either return to the house common rooms or take a side trip to Hogsmeade, the wizarding village nearby. Host students are asked to please accompany their guests to whichever destination they choose."  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way back to the stands where they had left their guests. The grown-ups were there, but Dudley was missing. "Where's Dudley?" Harry asked, afraid that he might have gotten himself lost again.  
  
"Oh, he went back to the school with one of the prefects," Petunia said. "I'm sure he just wanted a nice rest in the common room this afternoon."  
  
Harry wasn't sure which prefect would want to hang around with Dudley all day, but he decided not to worry about it too much. "How about you, Aunt Petunia?" he asked as politely as he could. "Would you like to return to the school as well, or would you like to go shopping in Hogsmeade?"  
  
Harry was already sure of the answer. Aunt Petunia could never get enough of shopping. Even wizard stores would no doubt be tempting for her. And he was right, as she quickly agreed to the shopping trip. Hermione's parents did the same, and so the 6 of them set off for an unexpected afternoon of fun in Hogsmeade, never suspecting for a minute that Dudley was now in the clutches of Draco Malfoy. 


	7. Into the Chamber

They'd been wandering about for half an hour now, and Dudley still hadn't found the correct corridor. Draco was getting impatient, but he supposed it was only to be expected. Hogwarts was extremely large and confusing, and the thick-headed Muggle had only seen it once, with only Weasley and Granger as his guides. That would be enough to confuse anyone! Draco would never admit this to anyone, of course, but there had been times during his first weeks at Hogwarts when he'd gotten lost in the dungeons on his way to the Slytherin common room. Of course, he'd always managed to cover it well, saying that he was simply taking the initiative to explore every inch of the school for his father, but he had been lost even if he couldn't admit it to anyone else, or even himself for that matter.  
  
If only Draco knew where the Gryffindor tour had started and in what direction they had gone, he might be able to help Dudley retrace his steps. But since each of the tours had taken a different route to avoid confusion, there was no way he could know. So he'd just have to trust the Muggle's intelligence (had he really just thought that?) and hope that he eventually found the right path.  
  
"Red graffiti!" Dudley suddenly shouted. "This is it! The entrance is in the girls' bathroom right over there!"  
  
Draco peered at the writing that Dudley had just pointed out. Since he knew what to expect, it didn't take much for him to make out what it said. "Enemies of the heir, beware! The Chamber of Secrets has been opened." He let out a barking laugh. For all these years he'd been mystified about the location of the entrance to the Chamber, and here it was right across from the place where its opening had first been announced. Hidden in plain sight. Typical. Sometimes his devious Slytherin mind made it impossible for him to see the simple truths right in front of him.  
  
Another thought occurred to him. "Did you say the girls' bathroom?" he asked. Dudley nodded. Well, Draco supposed that made sense in a devious Slytherin way as well. The Chamber of Secrets seemed so powerful and masculine. Who would ever go looking for it in a girls' bathroom?  
  
Dudley was about to barge in, but Draco stopped him and made him knock on the door first. If there were any girls in there, he didn't want to have to explain to them what he was doing in their bathroom with a Muggle. They might get suspicious and tell one of the professors, and then where would he be?  
  
But there was no answer, not even from Myrtle, much to Dudley's relief. After a few minutes of waiting, Draco was satisfied that the coast was clear and they finally went inside.  
  
The sinks were still in their reconfigured position. Myrtle apparently hadn't bothered to change them back after her encounter with Dudley. "That's the entrance," Dudley said, pointing to the hole in the floor.  
  
"So we just jump down an old pipe?" Draco asked incredulously. He had been expecting something more sophisticated, more dignified. Maybe a magically- powered lift, tastefully decorated in Slytherin colors, of course. Definitely not slithering down some mucky old pipe. Although he supposed slithering would be the Slytherin way to go about it.  
  
Dudley shrugged, his lack of concern evident on his face. This wasn't his world and he didn't make the rules. He was just along for the ride.  
  
"Since you discovered the entrance, you get to go first," Draco said, hoping the Muggle would buy his seeming politeness. Actually, there were two good reasons why he wanted Dudley to go first, one being that although he'd never admit it to anyone, he was just a little scared about what might be waiting for them below. Second and more practically, he didn't want Dudley falling after him and landing on top of him. That would be the end of Draco Malfoy for sure.  
  
Dudley bought it and moved towards the entrance until he was standing over it. He had a terrified look on his face, and Draco was afraid that he wasn't going to go through with it, but suddenly he gathered his courage and jumped. Draco listened carefully to the sounds that came from the pipe. First there was a sort of squishy sliding sound and then a crunchy thump at the bottom. "Are you alright, Dudley?" he called down, not out of concern for the Muggle but rather out of concern for his own chances.  
  
A weak "yes" came up through the pipe. "Get out of the way," Draco shouted. "I'm coming down." With that, he jumped into the entrance and soon found himself at the bottom as well. His landing was much softer due to the parachute charm he'd placed on himself on the way down.  
  
"Couldn't you have done that floaty thing for me?" Dudley asked suspiciously.  
  
"Yeah, I suppose I could have," Draco said. "But I didn't realize it was going to be such a hard landing until I heard you hit bottom." He feigned a look of innocence. In truth, he'd thought about using the parachute charm from the moment he'd seen the gaping hole in the floor of the bathroom. The reason he hadn't used one on Dudley was because he figured the big oaf had enough padding to protect himself from any permanent damage. Plus, he just couldn't bring himself to use magic to help a Muggle.  
  
Dudley seemed satisfied for the moment, and the two took a few minutes to catch their breath and look around at their surroundings. They were in a very dark chamber, and something crunched under their feet as they moved. "Lumos," Draco said, and the tip of his wand lit. Now they could see that the crunching things under their feet were the bones of countless small animals. Dudley gulped. Draco maintained his Slytherin composure for the time being.  
  
They walked slowly down the tunnel until they were faced with a huge green obstacle. It looked sort of flaky and smooth at the same time. "What on earth is that?" Dudley whispered. Draco walked around it for a few minutes, examining it from all angles, before finally coming to a conclusion. "I think it's a giant snakeskin," he said. "That means that the creature that lives down here must be some kind of a huge snake!" He grinned at his powers of deduction.  
  
"A huge snake? Down here?" Dudley asked and gulped again. Draco didn't bother trying to hide his sneer this time. Honestly, that Muggle was so predictable.  
  
They managed to skirt around the huge skin and only a few meters later they encountered a rockfall. "Well, there's no way around this. Let's turn back," Dudley said resignedly.  
  
"Take some time to think before you open your mouth," Draco said sharply. He'd tried to be as non-confrontational as he could with Potter's stupid but gigantic cousin, but there was only so much he could take. Giant or not, if the dolt continued in the same vein for much longer he'd just have to hex him.  
  
Draco examined the rocks as closely as he had the snakeskin and soon had found a path that he thought they could negotiate to the other side. It was no problem for him, but Dudley was another matter. Draco actually had to pull him for the last bit. But eventually they were both safe on solid ground on the other side.  
  
They resumed their walk down the corridor until finally they came to a set of doors. As they approached, the doors slid open and they got their first look of the Chamber proper. This time both of them gasped.  
  
The room was certainly impressive enough, with the huge statue of Salazar Slytherin at the end and the snake columns lining the sides. But neither of the boys was focused on that right now. Instead, they were both staring at the mummified remains of the basilisk that filled the Chamber. 


	8. A bond is forged

A/N: I apologize for the problems I had with posting the last chapter. I started out to correct a tiny little error, and in fixing it I caused an even bigger error, and it sort of just snowballed from there. I'm sorry if any of you were confused at the point when the chapters were all out of order. They're all back to normal now, so go back and re-read if you think things didn't quite make sense before!  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------  
  
When faced with the corpse of the basilisk, both boys screamed, but for entirely different reasons. Dudley, of course, was terrified. He'd never seen such a big snake before, and the fact that it was so obviously and disgustingly dead wasn't helping matters any. Draco, on the other hand, screamed out of frustration. After waiting all these years to come face-to- face with the monster of the Chamber of Secrets, he'd finally gotten a chance to see it, only to find that it had been dead all along. All those wasted hours of dreaming! All those plans for nothing! He didn't know what to do next.  
  
Dudley had no problems deciding what to do. He ran back through the Chamber doors, over the rockfall, around the snakeskin, and back to the bonepile with surprising speed. Feeling that there was nothing left to see in the Chamber, Draco followed him at a much slower pace. What was the rush, now that he had nothing left to live for, now that all his dreams had been shattered? When he finally caught up to Dudley, he saw the Muggle looking up at the mouth of the pipe they'd entered though.  
  
"Draco," he asked hesitantly, "how do we get back up?"  
  
Draco sneered and started to insult the oafish Muggle's intelligence when he realized something. He had no idea how to get back up. His plans had always ended with finding the Chamber and the monster within. He's always imagined that the monster would help them out again, he guessed. Only the monster was dead.  
  
It was at least 15 feet up to the entrance of the pipe. There were no walls nearby that they could climb, and no objects that could be piled up to reach their goal. In short, they were stuck there until somebody found them and got them out. The only problem was, nobody knew that they were down below, not even Myrtle.  
  
The important thing, Draco thought, was to remain calm. If the Harry's big cousin figured out that he didn't have a clue how to make their escape, there could be violence ahead. Then a light bulb went on in his brain. The kid was Harry's cousin, after all. Harry was always so sickeningly helpful and brave, and he was the most powerful wizard in the school (although Draco would never acknowledge to anyone that he felt that way). He'd be sure to figure out some way to get his cousin out of trouble, right?  
  
"I wouldn't worry too much," Draco said. "Once your cousin figures out that we're down here, I'm sure he'll come up with a plan to get us out of here. I mean, he's not going to let anything happen to you, right? You're family to him."  
  
Dudley gulped and started fiddling with his bow tie. He knew there could be violence ahead if he admitted this, but there was no use letting Draco have false hopes, and he would probably be dead soon enough anyway. "Draco, you'll probably hex me for telling you this, but you need to know the truth. Harry and I don't really get along. In fact, you could say that we hate each other's guts." He closed his eyes and winced, bracing himself for the attack that he was sure was coming. When nothing happened after a few moments, he opened his eyes again. He couldn't believe it. Draco was shaking with silent laughter!  
  
"I can't believe it," Draco said when he finally regained the power of speech, "all this time I've been worried that you were going to beat me up when you found out my secret. You see, I hate Harry too. Can't stand him. Think he's the worst thing that ever happened to the wizarding world. Wish he'd fall off the face of the earth at the earliest possible convenience." He paused for more laughter, this time until tears came to his eyes. Dudley finally started laughing too, and before too long he was rolling around on the floor.  
  
"Wow," Dudley finally said, his voice an awed whisper. "Who would have ever thought we'd have something in common?"  
  
++++++++++++++  
  
Two hours later, the boys were still trapped underground, but were considerably calmer. They'd finally moved over to the rockfall because it was the only good place to sit. Draco thought that the stone snakes in the Chamber might make good perches, but Dudley refused to go in there and face the dead basilisk again. So they'd sat on the rocks instead and talked. At first they talked mostly about Harry. Dudley told Draco about all the horrible things that Harry had done to the Dursleys, like the incident at the zoo and the time that he blew up Aunt Marge. Draco had filled Dudley in on Harry's school escapades and how he was always causing problems and getting away with it.  
  
The two finally ran out of Harry stories and started talking about other things instead. Draco talked about his childhood in Malfoy Manor. Dudley told Draco a little about Smeltings and a lot about his Playstation and his favorite TV shows. It took a while for Draco to figure out what he was talking about, but once he got Dudley to properly explain it to him, it sounded pretty cool, much more so than the Wizarding Wireless Network.  
  
The boys were having such a good time that it seemed like a shame when they were suddenly interrupted by a voice that seemed to be calling to them from a long ways away. 


	9. The end and a new beginning

Draco's ears perked up when he heard the voice calling his name. Certainly it must be the ghost of the basilisk, or the spirit of Salazar Slytherin, or some other dark and powerful force calling to him. His dreams could still come true, and he could still wield the power of the Chamber of Secrets! But then the voice started calling Dudley's name instead, and that brought him back to reality. No dark force would ever call out the name of a Muggle.  
  
Dudley was already running back towards the mouth of the pipe, where the voice seemed to be coming from. Draco followed and arrived just in time to hear Dudley shout, "We're down here!"  
  
"Are you safe?" the voice called back. Now that Draco had gotten closer he could tell that the voice belonged to Professor Dumbledore.  
  
"Yes," Draco called, "we're fine. Can you get us out?"  
  
"I'm sending someone down to you now," Dumbledore called. Draco rolled his eyes. Wouldn't the "rescuer" just get stuck down here with them as well? But the figure that swooped gracefully out of the pipe was not human, but a beautiful and intelligent-looking red-and-gold bird. "This is Fawkes, my phoenix," Dumbledore explained. "He'll bring you up one at a time. Just indicate to him which of you would like to go first."  
  
The boys looked at each other, trying to decide. The thought of being carried up through the pipe by a 3-pound bird was preposterous, but then again, the idea of staying down here alone in the dark didn't seem too enticing either.  
  
Dudley finally spoke up. "I came down here first, so I should get to go up first." Draco nodded. Fawkes grabbed Dudley by the collar and quickly took off, gracefully and seemingly effortlessly steering the large boy through the mouth of the pipe and up towards freedom.  
  
That left Draco alone for a few moments. He still couldn't believe that things were really ending this way. What had happened to his dreams? What was going to become of him now? Even after his father had been sent to Azkaban, he'd dreamed of the day when he would assume the power that was rightfully his as a Slytherin and a Malfoy. When the opportunity presented itself to him this morning, the Chamber of Secrets had seemed like the perfect way to do that. But he had to face the fact that there was nothing left here for him now. Still he was left with a lot of questions. What had really happened down here? Had Harry Potter really killed the basilisk at the end of second year, when the attacks on mudbloods had stopped? Was the power of the Chamber really as dissipated as it seemed? And what did all this mean for Draco Malfoy? That was the only question that really mattered to him in the end.  
  
Draco barely noticed as Fawkes returned for him and ever so gently lifted him up and away from the Chamber of Secrets and his shattered dreams.  
  
+++++++++++++++  
  
In the Great Hall, the closing reception was still going on. No one except for Harry and his immediate circle had any idea that Dudley and Draco had gone missing, and so they were all chatting and eating quite normally. It had been quite a while before anyone had realized, actually. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Aunt Petunia and Mr. and Mrs. Granger had spent a very pleasant afternoon in Hogsmeade. Harry's suspicions had proved to be accurate, as Aunt Petunia's love of shopping had triumphed over her fear of the wizarding culture in the end. She'd returned to Hogwarts with her arms full of shopping bags. Harry still couldn't believe that she'd actually asked to borrow money from him, or that he'd willingly given it to her. When she'd asked where he'd gotten such a pocketful of galleons in the first place, he'd muttered something about favorable exchange rates and she'd actually believed him! Of course, that meant she'd never repay him even a fraction of what she'd borrowed, if she ever repaid him at all, but that was still a lot better than letting her know about the contents of his Gringotts vault. No, he definitely hoped that she never figured out about that.  
  
When they'd returned to Hogwarts after the outing, Aunt Petunia had immediately rushed to the common room with Harry to show her Diddykins all the delightful things she'd bought for him! Of course, he'd been conspicuous by his absence, and no one claimed to have seen him since the Quidditch match. At about the same time, Ron and Hermione had rushed in and announced that Draco Malfoy had been missing from their prefects' meeting. It didn't take any of them very long to put two and two together.  
  
As usual, Harry had saved the day by getting out his Marauders' Map. Since there were so many more people in Hogwarts Castle than normal, it had taken him quite a while to locate the pair, but he'd finally found the right dots in a little inset marked "Chamber of Secrets." Odd that he'd never noticed that part of the map before. At any rate, Dumbledore was quickly notified and promised to retrieve the boys, while the rest of them were packed off to the Great Hall and the reception.  
  
The doors to the Hall flew open, and for the second time that day Dumbledore strode in late, accompanied by a pair of troublemakers. Once again all eyes turned to him, and if it was possible for the crowd to look more shocked than they had this morning, they did so now. Draco Malfoy with a muggle, and not even looking particularly disgusted about it! What was this world coming to?  
  
Once again Dumbledore strode up to the front of the room and began to speak. "Once again, my friends, I greet you. I trust that this day has brought new ideas and perceptions to each of you, Muggle and Wizard alike. When I spoke to you this morning, I spoke of a hope that Muggles and Wizards could enter a new age of mutual trust and respect, leading eventually to full cooperation between the two worlds. After only one day, I feel safe in saying that such an age is beginning. As our two groups separate today and go back to our normal routines, I hope we will all remember the lessons we have learned today. The Muggle and Wizarding worlds may be very different, but there is much that we can learn from each other, and it is my hope that we will continue to do so, in big ways and small, for many, many years."  
  
He sat down at his place at the head table as the hall erupted in thunderous applause. Even Draco, still standing by the door next to Dudley, felt himself applauding, though he could scarcely believe he was doing so.  
  
When the cheering finally stopped, Dudley leaned towards Draco and whispered conspiratorially, "Come with me. There's something I want to do."  
  
Dudley led Draco to the Gryffindor table, where his mother was sitting. "Mummy," he said proudly, "this is Draco Malfoy. He's my friend. Can he come spend the summer with us when he gets out of school?"  
  
Petunia goggled. Harry, Ron, and Hermione goggled. Even Draco goggled. Up at the head table, Dumbledore beamed. He had a feeling that the adventure was just beginning.  
  
THE END 


End file.
